8 Lessons Studios Must Learn To Avoid Making Box-Office Duds

It's no secret that big-budget sequels have been having a rough time at the box-office lately.

Properties like Alice In Wonderland and Now You See Me - which seem like heavy hitters at face value - had second instalments that just didn't deliver the goods, and this speaks to a big, big problem that Hollywood apparently doesn't realise it has; choosing the wrong films to make sequels to.

For the aforementioned two sequels, the conversation probably went like this: "The first movie made money, so let's make another one!" But did any of the executives in that boardroom stop and think beyond that? It would seem not.

2010's Alice flick did make money, yes, but does it have a fanbase? Do people ever talk about it? No. The first movie capitalized on the 3D buzz and was popular for that reason alone, but six years later, that buzz had vanished.

The same can be said of Now You See Me 2, The Huntsman: Winter's War, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows and Independence Day: Resurgence; nobody was asking for these movies, and there certainly wasn't a vocal fanbase itching to see them.

But look at all the sequels that succeed. John Wick: Chapter 2 was a good sequel that was released soon after the first and so could capitalise on the waves the original made. Finding Dory was the followup to a beloved family property. Annabelle: Creation was released in a dead August, and was miles better than the first. There are lessons to be gleaned from these examples.

Studios need to be more careful when picking and choosing their sequels - a recognisable name isn't always a safety net. They need to be good movies, and audiences also need to be hungry for them.